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Okla. Teacher of the Year writes heartfelt blog explaining decision to move to Texas

Okla. Teacher of the Year writes heartfelt blog explaining decision to move to Texas

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Updated: 10:45 AM CDT May 26, 2017

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WEBVTT .PATRINA: SHAWN SHEEHAN SAYS HE'SMAKING LESS MONEY NOW THAN WHENHE STARTED TEACHING SIX YEARSAGO, AND IS LOOKING AT ALLOPTIONS BECAUSE OF HIS GROWINGFAMILY.>> I HAD BUILT THIS PLATFORMABOUT STAYING POSITIVE, STAYINGOPTIMISTIC IN EDUCATION.PATRINA: SHAWN SHEEHAN, ATEACHER AT NORMAN HIGH, ANDOKLAHOMA'S TEACHER OF THE YEAR,SAYS HE CAN NO LONGER STAYSILENT, PENNING A LETTER TOSANTA AND LEGISLATORS ABOUTTEACHER PAY IN OKLAHOMA.HE POSTED IT ONLINE AND IT HAS ALOT OF PEOPLE TALKING.>> AS A TEACHER OF THE YEAR IS-- I SAID, HEY, WE CAN DO THIS.I KNOW IT'S A CHALLENGE REMEMBERTHE WORDS OF TEACHING, REMEMBERTHOSE KIDS BUT THAT WASPRE-DAUGHTER SHAWN.PATRINA: NOW WITH A TWO MONTHOLD TO SUPPORT.HE SAYS HE AND HIS WIFE, WHO'SALSO A TEACHER AT NORMAN HIGH,HAVE HER FUTURE TO THINK ABOUTNOW.>> IT SEEMS I HAVE TO CHOOSEBETWEEN RETIREMENT OF SAVING FORMY DAUGHTER OR BUYING A HOUSE ORPAYING OFF STUDENT LOANS.I CAN ONLY CHOOSE ONE OF THOSEIN THE STATE.I CANNOT CHOOSE MORE THAN ONE ASA TEACHER IN OKLAHOMA AND IT ISHEARTBREAKING.PATRINA: IN THE LETTER, HE SAYSHE WILL WAIT UNTIL THE NEXT

Okla. Teacher of the Year writes heartfelt blog explaining decision to move to Texas

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Sheehan wrote that they have worked hard to pay off their debt, but they can be paid a respectable wage for doing the same job by heading out of state.

Sheehan said in addition to teaching in Oklahoma, he’s tried to help find funding sources via SQ 779 and ran for state senate. He said he also started a non-profit focused on teacher recruitment and retention.

KOCO 5 spoke with Sheehan in Dec. 2016 and he said he was making less money than when he started teaching six years ago, and now, they have a young daughter to support.

“We could stay, but it would cost our family - specifically our sweet baby girl. My wife and I are not willing to do that. We, like you, want what’s best for our children and she deserves to grow up in a state that values education. And so do your children,” Sheehan wrote.

The Oklahoma House is voting on a budget deal Friday, the last day of the legislative session. However, the measure does not include teacher pay raises. Instead, it keeps funding for common education, public safety and health care the same.

The education battle at the state Capitol reached a boiling point Thursday as a group of educators gathered to ask lawmakers to give schools more funding, and keep a promise they made – give teachers a pay raise.